---
title: 'What was Aztec Salsa Like?'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=kKGaYSQokI0'
video_id: 'kKGaYSQokI0'
date: 2026-09-27
duration_sec: 66
channel: 'Tasting History with Max Miller'
---

# What was Aztec Salsa Like?

> Source: [What was Aztec Salsa Like?](https://youtube.com/watch?v=kKGaYSQokI0)

## Summary

This video explores the Aztec origins of salsa, tracing the term 'mole' to Nahuatl and describing a simple pre-Spanish recipe. It highlights the lack of early recipes and shares a personal cooking experience with a safety tip.

### Key Points

- **Pre-Spanish Salsa** [00:00] — Aztecs made salsa with tomatoes, peppers, and salt before Spanish arrival.
- **Origin of 'Mole'** [00:15] — Bernardino de Sahagún used 'mole' (Nahuatl for sauce) instead of 'salsa'.
- **Missing Recipes** [00:28] — Early sources describe ingredients but no exact recipes.
- **Simple Recipe** [00:40] — Simple recipe: toasted peppers, boiled tomatoes, salt, mashed in a molcajete.
- **Chili Safety** [00:52] — Orange peppers were fiery; wear gloves when handling chilies.

### Conclusion

Salsa's history predates Spanish arrival, with the term 'mole' rooted in Nahuatl. Simple recipes existed, but early sources lack exact instructions, and handling chilies requires caution.

## Transcript

Long before the Spanish arrived in Mexico, the Aztecs were making salsa like this, made with tomatoes, peppers, and salt. The Franciscan missionary Bernardino de Sahagún wrote about a salsa merchant, saying he sells food, sauces, hot sauces, sauce of smoked chili,
sauce of large tomatoes, sauce of ordinary tomatoes. But while he was, of course, writing in Spanish, he didn't use the Spanish word salsa, which just means sauce. He used the word mole, which is the Nahuatl word for sauce, and it's where the term mole comes from.
Unfortunately, none of the early sources give us actual recipes, but merely descriptions of what the Aztecs used for their sauces. So it's likely there were far more complicated versions than this. This one is really simple.
It's just toasted peppers and tomatoes that are boiled, then mashed with a little salt in a molcajete. Unfortunately, while the yellow or juero peppers were nice and mild, the orange ones I threw in were anything but,
and not only did my mouth go numb when I ate the salsa, my fingers also burned until the next day. A good reminder to always wear gloves when handling chilies. For more on the history of salsa, check out my video on YouTube, and this recipe is at tastinghistory.com.